Anita Dawes's Blog: http://jenanita01.wordpress.com, page 19

This Weeks Review...

Rise To Me…  by Shani Struthers
The opening prologue of this stunningly unusual second book in the series, instantly grabs you by the throat. We meet Ruby, a young psychic child, one already well used to communicating with spirits, finding herself confronted with one who is not human or ever was.
Fast-forward 18 years and Ruby now runs a successful domestic spiritual clearance business, called Psychic Surveys, using psychic detection to solve old crimes.In the course of her job, she encounters an angry ghost and tries to help it move on, but this turns out to be no ordinary haunting. Usually good at her job, she finds herself confronted by something very unexpected. Something she may not be able to do anything about, as something from her past comes back to haunt her.
On a lighter note, all psychics have a spirit guide, and Ruby’s is far from ordinary. Hilariously different and fiercely protective, Ruby’s guide is a dog called Jed.
This book has everything. Well written with very believable characters.A nightmare ending, brilliantly suspenseful and gripping.
I enjoyed reading it immensely.



Shani Struthers About The Author
Born and bred in the sunny seaside town of Brighton, one of the first literary conundrums Shani had to deal with was her own name - Shani can be pronounced in a variety of ways but in this instance it's Shay-nee not Shar-ney or Shan-ni - although she does indeed know a Shanni - just to confuse matters further! Hobbies include reading and writing - so no surprises there. After graduating from Sussex University with a degree in English and American Literature, Shani became a freelance copywriter. Twenty years later, the day job includes crafting novels too. She is the author of contemporary Cornish romance - The Runaway Year - published in 2013 by Omnific Publishing and best-selling paranormal mystery - Psychic Surveys Book One: The Haunting of Highdown Hall - published by Crooked Cat in April 2014.
Jessamine - a paranormal mystery/romance set in the highlands of Scotland and The Runaway Ex (sequel to The Runaway Year) were also published in late 2014. And from March 2015, PsychicSurveys Book Two: Rise to Me is available both in ebook format and paperback.

A Walk in the Sunshine...

   posted by Jaye Marie

Yesterday, Anita and I played truant. We deliberately left all of our writing and promoting, all of the household chores and went out into the sunshine. This was the first time this year and was long overdue.It all started when we were discussing a new post about synchronicity and all the coincidences that have occurred since we moved down here from London several years ago.One of Anita’s favourite books/film is The Time Machineby H G Wells, and we happened to have moved to the one place in England where the author actually wrote it.  (More on this in future post)
So, with my trusty new camera, we set off to take some pictures. This was my first photo trip since I tripped and fell flat on my face in Southampton, severely damaging my left knee and not doing my ego any good either. I was trying to walk and take pictures at the same time. My old camera was ruined, as it didn’t appreciate being thrown at a wall, and the knee is still not quite right, so I was nervous to say the least, as falling over at my age is not to be recommended.
It was a beautiful day, warm and sunny with barely a breeze. The town was busy; it seemed everyone else had the same idea. Spring flowers were everywhere, and before long, we found ourselves walking to the pond. They call it a pond, but it is really big and must be a lake. I mean, how big does a body of water have to be, to elevate it to lake status?Anyway, it is far too beautiful a place to be called a pond.It was only when we arrived, that we realised it was a school holiday and the place was teeming with families. We usually avoid such occasions if we can, preferring the peace and quiet for it  is the perfect place for inspiration and the general charging of personal batteries.But we were there, so we made the best of our visit.

I don’t know if it was because this was our first trip out (it waslong overdue) or something else entirely, but the day seemed magical. Everywhere we looked, new life was enjoying the sunshine too. So much fresh green growth, all the new reeds in the water, the buds on the trees. The willow trees in particular were clothed in a mist of green, giving them an ethereal quality.Sunshine sparkled on the water and it felt glorious to be alive. Well worth all the catching up we would have to do later.


We sat and enjoyed a cup of coffee at the lovely waterside café, and watched the families with their offspring, noticing for the first time just how many older couples there were, enjoying the day and each other’s company. Seems we were not the only ones enjoying a day of freedom from life in general. But we would all feel the better for it.
(I took nearly eighty photographs, and didn’t fall over once!)

The Power of Books…

Posted by Jaye Marie


I was a lonely child, and London was a lonely place to be when I was growing up there after the war. All around me, people were busily trying to put their lives and homes back into some kind of order.
I remember walking around the streets, confused by all the chaos that still had to be dealt with, all the piles of dusty bricks and rubble that was all that remained of so many people's lives.
This is probably what made me such a melancholic child, and the reason I retreated into the world of books.



My favourite book was a copy of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and I would love to have that particular copy back in my possession. I remember it as being illustrated, full of hauntingly beautiful but tortured imagery that managed to scare the living daylights out of me. (I was only eight years old)

I often wonder if my memory is at fault. Was this book really illustrated, or did the words simply conjure up what I thought I saw?
I do love a good book and I must have read thousands of them in my lifetime. This brings me rather neatly to my favourite author of all time, Stephen King. He wrote about everything from a crazy car to a tormented child and just about every scary subject in between. I have spent so much time in his company.

Which brings me to another of my favourite authors. Anita Dawes. You meet her here quite regularly, as she is the other half of this writing partnership.  She is not quite getting the recognition I think she deserves, but I can see a similarity with King in everything she writes. Horrible things happen to her characters too, but you cannot help but love them anyway.
What follows is an excerpt from Bad Moon, my all-time favourite...

   
"Watching the truck coming towards us seemed to take forever, like Pa was going deliberately slow. We waited for Pa to get out of the truck and I could see from his dirt-streaked face that it weren't good. Nathan's face looked worse.
Ma tried to stop me from running to the truck, but couldn't hold me. I climbed on the back and didn't see Nathan getting out. Suddenly he was there beside me. I remember kneeling and touching the blue check shirt that covered Josh's face. I remember the touch of Nathan's hand on mine and the gentle way he said, 'Don't look, Annie please. Just let Pa bury him.'
 But I had to see for myself, had to know if it was the tree falling on him that had killed him. My eyes were wet, but the tears wouldn't fall. I pulled the shirt back and a scream tore at my throat, trying to find a way out.
No sound came as I looked at what was left of his face, dark gaping holes looked back at me. Gone were his blue grey eyes, the very thing I had liked most about him had been gouged away.
His face was torn and bloody. Dried blood matted his hair and dead leaves were sticking to him.
Nathan tried to take me away, saying I had seen enough. I felt myself being lifted slowly from my knees and as Nathan carried me away, that's when my mind registered what it had seen.
The torn flesh on his face hadn't been caused by the fall. The skin standing away from the bone and all the dried blood made it hard to read, that was why my mind didn't see it right off.
They had cut Pa's name down one side of his face, as if taking his eyes weren't enough.
The scream that wouldn't come before, finally broke through and shut down my brain like an axe blow..."

See what I mean?
If you want to read more of this incredible book, simply subscribe to our blog, leave a comment and win a free copy. 
Or you can find it here on Amazon… http://www.amazon.com/dp/b009bk3ays
See you next week...

Stealing Time by KJ Waters

 Five Star Review


The first book in this trilogy opens with an idiot thinking he could outwit Hurricane Charley. Breathless opening sequence as the storm seeks him out, followed by an accurate and disturbing description of what happens to somebody caught in a hurricane.
This storm affects the people in this story very differently. Ronnie, the female lead, is somehow transported back to the eighteenth century. She feels the same but looks very different, and in this strange antiquated world, she has an angry and violent brother.There turns out to be a very good reason for her transportation, and it has a lot to do with a bracelet she wears. I loved the way the author makes us jump through time and back again, as we keep track of the storyline.
Going back in time is usually portrayed as an exciting occurrence, but not in this book. Ronnie has never been treated so brutally before, and the bloodletting scenes are brilliantly written.  It’s not just Ronnie who has been misplaced, parts of history are not right either.
This book has it all. Mysterious circumstances, violent characters, historical facts, and more than a touch of the supernatural. Our heroine is subjected to an arranged marriage, a witch hunt and a little romance along the way. Her life is threatened more than once, and her struggle to live will leave you breathless.


  About The Author

KJ Waters is the author of the Stealing Time series. Her prior work experience was as the Director of Marketing and Communications at a national health care company. Her award winning blog, Blondie in the Water, features water stories and information about the books. She is also the owner of Blondie's Custom Book Covers helping authors and publishers create stunning book covers.

Progress report...

Progress report... from Jaye Marie

Current work in progress
Just wanted to share the new cover for the sequel to The Ninth Life.

I have reached 12,000 words, and it is rolling along nicely. As usual, the characters are completely in charge, and I do as I'm instructed.
At this stage, I have no idea how it will go, or what will happen. All I know is this, surprising things are happening already...

I love this new cover, but would appreciate some feedback from all my lovely helpful friends out there.  For instance, are sequel covers supposed to be similar to the first book?
Go on, tell me what you really think...










I thought I would share this too, the first review for The Ninth Life.




Most Helpful Customer Reviews4.0 out of 5 stars An addictive and rollercoaster of a read 4 Mar. 2015 By Louise Wyatt
If you like the thriller genre that keeps up the momentum then The Ninth Life would be a good read for you. The pace never falters, building up the plot and characters with timely intervention. The author cleverly keeps the story centred around the main character, with the other players coming into the story and yet there are no plot holes or false timings.
Not once did I get bored reading it or find the story faltering at all - definitely one of those where 'you need to know what happens next' but I think the author's gift when writing this is to keep the protagonist centre whilst keeping the reader constantly hooked. The antagonist is typically a nasty character, one whom the reader takes an instant dislike to and the edge he adds to the story is almost palpable.
Other characters are kept to a minimum but play pivotal roles in the story; the good thing here is you never know quite how they will turn out. Will your fears be unfounded? Or did you correctly guess the next step? The ending is not what you would expect (another good talent to have when writing) but you'll have to read the book!

Technophobes Beware!

 This weeks post...by Jaye Marie
When I started blogging in 2012 to promote our books, I knew it wouldn’t be easy. Not for me, anyway. They made it sound easy. Just choose one, click here and there, and you’re up and running.To start with, choosing which one to go with was not that easy. I wanted our blog to look amazing, be simple to use and not cost anything.
I tried a few before I got to Blogger, the one run by Google. Most of them said they were easy, and they probably are for most people, but my little brain seems to have a glitch.I have always had this glitch. People will try to explain things to me, but there will always be at least one little detail, that if I understood it, would make the whole thing make sense of all the others. Sometimes, after many attempts, the penny will drop. Now and again, it will refuse and I will have to give up.
Fortunately, I did succeed in setting up our first blog. After many false starts and dummy runs, several layout changes and mucking about in general, we had ourselves a reasonably attractive website. Domain and all.  I thought that was all I had to do. I posted regularly, but they were short and amateur. No images, and precious little imagination.Well, in my defence, I was learning.
Now, some kind of communication is important for people like me, and before long, I realised that Blogger does not have the capability to answer any of my questions. You had to post your question to a forum and hope someone just like me had run up against the same problem and knew how to put it right.
This brings me to my other problem. Whenever I do ask for help, the answers are usually so technical they mean nothing to me.Just lately, much has been said about the importance of your email list. Now, because there was a subscribe button on our blog, I mistakenly thought we had the makings of one. But I don’t think I do.The one that comes with the Blogger package is something called Feedburner, but as far as I can tell, it doesn’t do anything at all. There is no list, no information and no analytics. At this point, I wanted to run screaming and hide under the stairs. But, because I’m stubborn and want to succeed, I looked around for an alternative.Mailchimp or Eweber were recommended most strongly as being, wait for it… simple to use…blah, blah.
I spent an entire afternoon with Mailchimp, shredding my nerves and any patience I had left, and got precisely nowhere. To be fair, it all went well, until I tried to import any lists I might have had already. They found none. More than two years of blogging and not one name.That was when I think Mailchimp went off me. I tried to move on, as they said building a list was easy. All I had to do was copy and paste this code into my blog to install the subscribe button. You could then run a campaign to attract more subscribers. You know, free books and stuff. Sounded great, but when I tried to set this up, it refused, saying that I had no list to send campaign to. Duh? That was when I gave up; resigned to the fact I had probably gone as far as I could with my limited patience and brain capacity.Same old story really. Close, but no cigar.



sometimes I feel like this...

Now, I say I have given up, that the blog will have to do as is, but I know I will probably have another go, just to see if I can make it work. This is how I have ever gotten anywhere, but boy it gets me down sometimes.I should just retire for real and get out my knitting, but I know I’m not quite ready for that yet.
Well, not all the time anyway...

Review for "Glenn Hates Books. vol.1"

Once you get over the shock of the authors earthy vernacular, this book is a veritable riot. Everything you have ever wanted to say about all manner of books is right here.
 At times, I laughed aloud, and this takes some doing, being remarkably jaded in my old age. Sometimes I disagreed with the author, having read the book in question myself, but overall it was unanimous.
Something that did surprise me though, was the length of most of the reviews. Most people these days only say a few words, but not this fine gentleman. He gives each book a thorough, lengthy and honest review, which I really admired.
Scathingly honest, this author will sniff out everything that is bad about a book and say it loud. He seems to have single handedly cornered the market in unreadable books. Where on earth did he find them all?It was really quite amazing just how many books the author has found that didn’t match up to his specific criteria. I have been reading for over sixty years, and my list of bad books is nowhere near as long. And because he does it so well, I had to wonder, maybe he likes reviewing badly written books?
One star book reviews
Glenn ConleyNot much here that appealed to me, but I quite liked the sound of The Influence: by Bentley Little. Nothing really wrong with it that a little judicious editing wouldn’t cure.I thought it a shame that Iain Banks was included in this list, although to be fair, it wasn’t one of his best...
Two star book reviews
Nothing I liked in this list at all, they were all pretty bad, sorry to say.
Three star book reviews
Halfway through this book and the lists of reviews, I began to wonder if Glenn Conley would like any book, really like them, as he was coming across as a man who is not easily pleased.
However, I was surprised…
My favourite book of 2014 made this list. Gone Girl: by Gillian Flynn. I enjoyed this book immensely, although I will admit to feeling cheated with the ending, although I don’t really think it could have been written any differently. I think that was the only reason Glenn included it here.Every Day: by David Levithan, was a refreshingly interesting fantasy with some very clever twists.The Cult of Me: by Michael Brookes should be worth reading, from what was said about it.Dan Brown was in this list too, with Inferno.  And this I totally disagreed with. I know it was a bit like some of his others, but it really made me think seriously about solving the world’s overpopulation problem; and what our politicians and scientists might be planning to do about it.
Several of the books in this category were ones he almost liked. Can’t wait to get to the four star ones.
Four star book reviews
The Giver: by Lois Lowry has just leapt onto my TR list. Glenn likes it too, for like me, the author has a thing for villains. Woken Furies: by Richard K. Morgan. An interesting sci-fi book with immortal characters, and one hell of a twist.The Game: by Terry Scott. This one also made my TR list. A virtual reality story, a lot like Blade Runner, but could be okay.The Water Travellers: by Daniel Waltz.  All about interplanetary travellers, people who can travel from one planet to another through water portals. Different.
By the time I was two thirds into this book, I was dying to know if any books had made it into the final, coveted five star list. I mean, the author openly states that he hates books, and what I had already read really emphasised this.
Five star book reviews
But lo and behold, there were as many books in this section as in the others.
In the After: by Demetria Lunetta. An alien invasion story. Glenn really liked this one, all of it.
In The End: by Demetria Lunetta.  Glenn thought this one was even better than the first.
The Other Normals: by Ned Vizzini. I was surprised to find this book listed here, I mean, it’s a romance.  Who knew? Apparently, Glenn stayed up all night to finish it.
The Breach: by Patrick Lee. This one was compelling and unique, and Glenn loved it because he couldn’t predict anything. Recommended highly.
~~~~
I was pleased Glenn had found some he liked, for I love books. Rarely do I find one I cannot read, as there is usually some redeeming feature.
Made me wonder what he would make of one of mine?
 









http://www.amazon.com/dp/b00o272a14

We Have Been Nominated!

The Versatile Blogger Awardby anita and jaye dawes



 We have just been nominated as versatile bloggers by our friend and fellow author, AilsaAbraham , and are tickled pink!Also very pleased that our humble blog should have received this accolade, and if it raises awareness of the joys of blogging, so much the better.We have always tried to keep our content interesting, so we are delighted to play it forward and nominate other bloggers that we have found to be a constant source of inspiration.
So, here goes. 1.      We have to write a post and link back to the blogger who nominated us. 2.      Display the logo. (that’s the easy bit, just cut and paste) 3.      Post six interesting things about us. (should have been seven, but… ) 4.      Nominate up to fifteen other bloggers (and why we nominated them) 5.      Inform them all of their nomination .
Seven reasonably interesting things about us…
1.      Stubborn   We are both as stubborn as mules. Our brainstorming sessions should be televised, as they are always hilarious. I don’t really understand how we ever get any writing done! Same thing happens if we have to shop for anything other than food. Choosing anything, from curtains to wallpaper is sure to result in fireworks, as we can never agree on anything.2.      Technophobes Considering what we do every day, neither of us likes computers. Anita refuses to touch ours, whereas I might beat mine to death with a brick one of these days. They are definitely sent by the Devil to drive us all mad.3.      Enterprising Between us, we must have had a go at most things in our time. From Interior design, (painting and decorating!) Upholstery, Wedding dresses and cakes, to craftwork of every description. We have run several successful businesses at the same time as raising six children and two grandchildren between us.4.      Passionate My passions include ancient myths and legends, Arthurian, Greek, and Roman Gods, and anything esoteric. Jaye is a nature freak and would live out of doors if she could, preferably by the sea. She also loves to draw, paint and grow bonsai, and actually has one that is older than she is.5.      Intrepid In our youth, we travelled all over England, exploring the countryside and as many places of interest as possible. Old churches and graveyards, ancient monuments and pagan sites. Complete with all the kids and a dog or two.6.      Magical Many years ago, we were both involved in the paranormal. We were thrown out of a magic circle for being better at it than they were.  They were actually scared!  Jaye was a medium for a while, but unfortunately, life and circumstance have chosen a different path for us. It is never far away, though.
We nominate:
Sue Vincent
Linda Huber
Jen Owenby
Carol Hedges
Cynthia Harrison
Gail Jennie Orbell
And finally yet importantly, the first friend we made when we first started blogging, always so helpful and encouraging. (and she lives on a boat!) Valerie Poore.

Forgotten Poems...

                                                                

                                 No Hope


The river runs so deep, my LordI know I cannot cross.Without your love to guide me homeI fear my soul is lost.
When darkness comes and I’m aloneand demons dance and shoutThe trees throw shadows on the groundAnd evil walks about.
I see no lights to guide me homeWhere did my love go wrong.I need to feel so safeAnd know that I belong.
A place where fear cannot come inA place that is too strong.And smiling faces greet you thereDon’t make me wait too long.
It’s Heavens light that I see nowA place where I might goSo Father, take my handI am ready now, I know.
                                   Anita Dawes  
                                                                        ~~~




                         Yesterday
I walk among the dead of yesterday A willing prey.Unholy voices fill the airwith shattered hopes they linger ever deeper in despairI sit alone beside an empty chair.
In the darkness soft and sweetWith fear and sweat upon my browall my sins of yesterday I meetand stand before you empty now.
Heavenly Angels, take my handAnd lead me to your promised landHelp me to find the love I seekwhich Jesus left for us to keep…                                                     Anita Dawes


These poems were written a long time ago, in 1979, long before I started to write books. I have been thinking of trying my hand at them again…

Proud to Announce the Birth of 'More Lives Than One'...

After the longest edit in human history, the latest novel from the pen of our resident author, Anita Dawes is now on Amazon. Soon to be on Smashwords, Goodreads, with a paperback to follow.




Synopsis   
Sarah Curtis is a typical teenager who has already decided how she wants her life to be. A loving husband, family, and friends. No dark clouds on the horizon. She has no idea that fate has other ideas.She has been having sad and confusing dreams, where she seems to be someone else entirely. A girl with terrible, disturbing problems. Despite trying to dismiss them as silly dreams, they do seem to be important, as if they hold the secret to her future.The dreams get more and more depressing and Sarah begins to worry that something in her life must be wrong, and when a child goes missing, her life begins to mirror her dreams. Her aunt takes Sarah to Cornwall for a holiday, but her mind refuses to rest. Trouble seems to follow her there, and a car accident leads to surgery when a clot is discovered in Sarah’s brain. Could this be the cause of her nightmares? But the dreams still torment her…

http://www.amazon.com/dp/b00um5oa72